Terminal (officially called Terminal.app) is, strictly speaking, an emulator and works off most typical UNIX commands (OS X is a UNIX-based system, as opposed to Windows, which is NT-based). Unlike OS X, which has a graphical user interface (shortened to GUI), Terminal works off a text-based interface and all commands have to be typed in - this. Terminal is Mac OS X way into the command line world. It is designed for you to typing in specific commands that you would not be able to do otherwise. This is great for customizing your Mac and unveiling hidden features. It is also a good way to destroy you system because you screwed something up. How many times did you have something running on your Mac and you wanted to make. An A-Z Index of the Apple macOS command line (macOS bash) afconvert Audio File Convert afinfo Audio File Info afplay Audio File Play airport Manage Apple AirPort alias Create an alias. alloc List used and free memory apropos Search the whatis database for strings asr Apple Software Restore atsutil Font registration system utility automator Run an Automator workflow awk Find and Replace text.
All Terminal Commands For Mac
Terminal User Guide
Use these shortcuts to save time when using Terminal.
Work with Terminal windows and tabs
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
New window | Command-N |
New window with same command | Control-Command-N |
New tab | Command-T |
New tab with same command | Control-Command-T |
Show or hide tab bar | Shift-Command-T |
Show all tabs or exit tab overview | Shift-Command-Backslash () |
New command | Shift-Command-N |
New remote connection | Shift-Command-K |
Show or hide Inspector | Command-I |
Edit title | Shift-Command-I |
Edit background color | Option-Command-I |
Make fonts bigger | Command-Plus (+) |
Make fonts smaller | Command-Minus (–) |
Next window | Command-Grave Accent (`) |
Previous window | Command-Shift-Tilde (~) |
Next Tab | Control-Tab |
Previous Tab | Control-Shift-Tab |
Split window into two panes | Command-D |
Close split pane | Shift-Command-D |
Close tab | Command-W |
Close window | Shift-Command-W |
Close other tabs | Option-Command-W |
Close all | Option-Shift-Command-W |
Scroll to top | Command-Home |
Scroll to bottom | Command-End |
Page up | Command-Page Up |
Page down | Command-Page Down |
Line up | Option-Command-Page Up |
Line down | Option-Command-Page Down |
Edit a command line
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Reposition the insertion point | Press and hold the Option key while moving the pointer to a new insertion point. |
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the line | Control-A |
Move the insertion point to the end of the line | Control-E |
Move the insertion point forward one character | Right Arrow |
Move the insertion point backward one character | Left Arrow |
Move the insertion point forward one word | Option-Right Arrow |
Move the insertion point backward one word | Option-Left Arrow |
Delete to the beginning of the line | Control-U |
Delete to the end of the line | Control-K |
Delete forward to the end of the word | Option-D (available when Use Option as Meta key is selected) |
Delete backward to the beginning of the word | Control-W |
Delete one character | Delete |
Forward-delete one character | Forward Delete (or use Fn-Delete) |
Transpose two characters | Control-T |
Select and find text in a Terminal window
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Select a complete file path | Press and hold the Shift and Command keys and double-click the path |
Select a complete line of text | Triple-click the line |
Select a word | Double-click the word |
Select a URL | Press and hold the Shift and Command keys and double-click the URL |
Select a rectangular block | Press and hold the Option key and drag to select text |
Cut | Command-X |
Copy | Command-C |
Copy without background color | Control-Shift-Command-C |
Copy plain text | Option-Shift-Command-C |
Paste | Command-V |
Paste the selection | Shift-Command-V |
Paste escaped text | Control-Command-V |
Paste escaped selection | Control-Shift-Command-V |
Find | Command-F |
Find next | Command-G |
Find previous | Command-Shift-G |
Find using the selected text | Command-E |
Jump to the selected text | Command-J |
Select all | Command-A |
Open the character viewer | Control-Command-Space |
Work with marks and bookmarks
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Mark | Command-U |
Mark as bookmark | Option-Command-U |
Unmark | Shift-Command-U |
Mark line and send return | Command-Return |
Send return without marking | Shift-Command-Return |
Insert bookmark | Shift-Command-M |
Insert bookmark with name | Option-Shift-Command-M |
Jump to previous mark | Command-Up Arrow |
Jump to next mark | Command-Down Arrow |
Jump to previous bookmark | Option-Command-Up Arrow |
Jump to next bookmark | Option-Command-Down Arrow |
Clear to previous mark | Command-L |
Clear to previous bookmark | Option-Command-L |
Clear to start | Command-K |
Select between marks | Shift-Command-A |
Other shortcuts
Mac Terminal Commands Cheat Sheet
Action | Shortcut |
---|---|
Enter or exit full screen | Control-Command-F |
Show or hide colors | Shift-Command-C |
Open Terminal preferences | Command-Comma (,) |
Break | Typing Command-Period (.) is equivalent to entering Control-C on the command line |
Command-P | |
Soft reset terminal emulator state | Option-Command-R |
Hard reset terminal emulator state | Control-Option-Command-R |
Open a URL | Hold down the Command key and double-click the URL |
Add the complete path to a file | Drag the file from the Finder into the Terminal window |
Export text as | Command-S |
Export selected text as | Shift-Command-S |
Reverse search command history | Control-R |
Toggle “Allow Mouse Reporting” option | Command-R |
Toggle “Use Option as Meta Key” option | Command-Option-O |
Show alternate screen | Option-Command-Page Down |
Hide alternate screen | Option-Command-Page Up |
Open man page for selection | Control-Shift-Command-Question Mark (?) |
Search man page index for selection | Control-Option-Command-Slash (/) |
Complete directory or file name | On a command line, type one or more characters, then press Tab |
Display a list of possible directory or file name completions | On a command line, type one or more characters, then press Tab twice |